Triby might look like a cutesy boombox for the kids, but hang with it for a minute because the speaker promises to be so much more than that. Physically, Triby is a 6" x 6" square, and just 1.2" deep with a magnetic backing for sticking it to the fridge. Because this speaker and its music-convo-Post-It-note powers were made for the kitchen, to equip the hub of your home with 3 main smart tech capabilities:

Music. Triby is a wireless music system that can stream tunes over Wi-Fi through Internet radio stations and Spotify Connect, as well as pump your own jams with Bluetooth connectivity.

Verbal Communication. Fitted with in Vivo Acoustic technology, Triby supports hands-free mobile calls in the kitchen, which can be particularly handy when your own hands are submerged in dishwater or covered in meat goo. The speakerphone has 4 digital microphones for HD voice capture and transmission with no background noise. Triby can "hear" you from up to 15' away. The speaker also supports free Internet calls between it and anyone with the Triby app, regardless of whether or not they have a smartphone.

Written Communication. Forget to leave the kids their to-do list before you left this morning? Want to tell your girlfriend she's the hottest and most awesome girlfriend ever, and would be even better if she made you spaghetti bolognese for dinner? Triby's always-on display and app also enable you to send thoughtful, reminder, and please-make-me-food text messages right to the fridge. And if words aren't your thing, why not send a little doodle of a heart or, like, your favorite body part. A yellow flag pops out of the side of the Triby speaker when new messages arrive.

Triby is a micro-USB rechargeable speaker whose battery life should be good for about a month of standby use per charge. Its companion app for talking, texting, and drawing is currently compatible only with iOS8 and up. Triby and Amazon have also joined forces to link Triby to the Alexa Fund voice services, currently used on Amazon's Echo.